Friday, August 31, 2012

Recommended Reading: HappyFan on Lydia Ko

Shutting down the 1st week of classes this afternoon and have obviously been super-busy with everything that usually goes with it, not to mention a new university President, new chair of the University Senate, and new President of the campus UUP chapter. But I couldn't let the week go by without recommending HappyFan's awesome post on Lydia Ko's LPGA win, amazing summer, and impressive career. Do yourself a favor and watch the youtube link that he included in the post. It includes clips of her practicing with her coach at age 8. Don't get me started on how, well, awesome her fundamentals were even then.

It's hard not to make comparisons to your own kids. Onechan starts 3rd grade next Tuesday, and she's already several light-years behind where Lydia was at her age, golf-wise. No problem, as she's more into becoming a writer, starting gymnastics, and playing with her 6-year-old sister with their American Girl dolls. Her biggest challenge is keeping up with the curriculum in her Japanese school! Imoto, meanwhile, can't wait to start 1st grade, although she's nervous about reading more big words than ever before. They've definitely been paying a lot of attention to all the teenage Olympians and to Lydia this summer and can't wait to get back into gymnastics, swimming, skating, and girl scouts. The Full Metal Archivist and I are trying to give them as well-rounded a childhood as we can, while showing them many examples of girls who push themselves to achieve what no one before them has and waiting to see what inspires them. We all went and hit balls several times this summer (well, the FMA watched) and I even played a couple of holes with the girls late one evening on the town course, but I have a feeling golf is pretty low on their totem poles right now. I'm fine with that. I'm just looking forward to the time when they get big enough and good enough to play 9 holes with me!